Parents and guardians of children who are starting Grade 1 and 8 in Gauteng public schools have been given another chance to apply for placement for the 2024 academic year.
The Gauteng department of education is taking late applications from Monday until January 31. However, parents and guardians are encouraged not to wait until the last minute to apply for placement.
Only schools with available space
It is also important for parents and guardians to note that only schools that have space are open for late applications.
Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said parents and guardians will be allowed to apply to only one school for their children. He added that placement will be automatic upon application.
“We will be availing schools that have space only. That means when you apply at a school you must be sure, because you will be automatically placed there. There will be no waiting period for placement,” he said.
The department said documents may be submitted to the selected school when schools reopen in January.
99.8% placements complete
Schools open on January 17 for the 2024 academic year.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said the province received a total of 305,981 applications when the application process was first opened on June 15. The deadline for applications was July 14. Of the total applications, 145 472 were for Grade 1 and 160 509 for Grade 8.
“To date, 272 639 (99.8%) applicants with complete applications [have been] placed,” Chiloane told the media on December 10.
He said the placement of applicants started on September 4 and will close when all applicants are placed.
Only 324 (0.1%) of applicants with complete applications have offers of placement that require responses.
Incomplete applications
“There are 32,795 applicants with incomplete applications,” he said.
Incomplete applications are those that still require parents and guardians to submit the necessary documents, including home addresses.
Chiloane said provision has been made for these applicants to select schools with available space for placement on December 11.
Option to decline placement
He said applicants who were offered placement at schools that they have not applied to, have the option to decline the placement offer.
To submit an objection, guardians must decline the placement offer and complete an objection form online. Objections must be submitted within seven days of receiving the placement offer.
Chiloane said when a placement is offered at one of the schools that the parent applied to, the parent will not be able to submit an objection or appeal.
“All objections are investigated on merit and an outcome is provided to the parent within 14 days of submission,” he said.
“Applicants who decline the objection outcome may submit an appeal online within seven days of receiving the objection outcome. Appeals are processed and responded to within 14 to 21days. Parents need to note that the appeal outcome is final,” said Chiloane.
